Chilly weather pattern expected to last all week with rain by
Friday
Morgan Hill – Chattering teeth at school bus stops, icy car windshields and frosty front yards.
According to the National Weather Service, an Alaskan front early last week started the trend of mild afternoons and frigid early morning temperatures, but now there is a high pressure system hovering over the area, a pool of cold air.
Without a “blanket” of clouds to hold the warm air in overnight, temperatures rapidly fall, while during the day, there are no clouds to keep the warm rays of the sun out, so afternoons become almost balmy.
The area can expect to continue to see this pattern the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service, with afternoon highs in the low- to mid-70s and overnight lows in the mid-30s to low-40s. By Friday, a chance of rain creeps into the picture, and when the clouds return, residents can expect warmer nights and cooler days, as the clouds hold in the day’s warmth but prevent the sun from warming up the afternoons as much.
The nippy weather has caused increased sales of certain winter-related items at Johnson Lumber/Ace Hardware, according to supervisor Francisco Sanchez.
He said space heaters are selling quicker than usual, and wood pellets for wood stoves and Duraflame fireplace logs are moving off the shelves rapidly.
Another local business is benefiting from the cool spell. Steve Wilson of Guglielmo Winery said the grape vines love the dry, cold weather.
“Since we’ve harvested, this is exactly what we need right now, as it drives the grapes into the dormant state,” he said. “The colder it gets, the better grapes we get the following year.”
The harvest was completed in late October, he said, a little later this year, and the pruning process will begin soon. The cold is good for the vines until they start to blossom again, around April.
Dave Vincent of Cal Color nursery said his plants are fine, also, because the nursery grows mostly bedding plants and perennials, seasonal plants that can withstand the cold. However, he said, the gas bills for heating the nursery’s 500,000 square feet of greenhouse space where the seedlings are nurtured.
“That’s what kills us,” Vincent said. “Otherwise, there may be some damage to some late fall stuff, but that should be down to almost non-existent at this point. The bedding plants are fine.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
